He already has.
When we left Harry’s birthday party, all the other kids waved and hugged him goodbye, and he knew all their names. Ben has this way of making the world seem so very simple. He adapts to change so fast, and he has this amazing bounce-back ability. He can be crying his heart out over a skinned knee, then five minutes later, laughing as he plays with his Lego. I’m a little in awe of him. I wish I were half as resilient as he is.
I smile. “Why don’t you go down and play with Murph, Win, and Joel while Mommy gets dressed real quick? Maybe we can see if Lina will bring Harry to the diner after school, and you two can have a snack together?”
He beams at me. “Okay.” He climbs out of bed and walks out of my room, closing the door behind him. I listen to his footsteps as they move toward the staircase, and to him calling out for Win, who calls back, “Come on down, little man.”
I should get up now, but for just a little longer, I rest my head against the headboard, frowning as I think. Last night and this morning with Murph was incredible. I don’t regret it for a second, but this talk with Ben has made me realize I need to start taking steps toward our future.
As I step into the diner with Ben for his playdate with Harry, a dark-haired man in blue jeans and a black t-shirt tackles me.
“Oof!” I grunt, staggering.
The only reason I don’t fall is the same man seizes me in a bear hug that lifts me off the floor, hard enough to squeeze the stuffing out of me. “Hey, Rose.”
At the same time, Ben starts hugging his leg and hopping up and down. “Uncle Sam!”
Over Sam’s shoulder, Win is half out of the kitchen, ready to go to war with the chef’s knife in hand. Honestly, it’s kind of surprising. Win is sweet and kind, and friendly. But that grab-a-knife-and-come-to-my-rescue urge flipped on like a switch.
Win stops and retreats when Sam releases me to pick up Ben and give him a gentler greeting than the one he gave me.
“How’s my favorite nephew?” he asks Ben, grinning at him.
“Good.” Ben beams at him.
Win glances from me to Sam, and his brow wrinkles; he’s confused, given he doesn’t know who Sam is or why it looked like he attacked me. I’d be happy to explain that to him just as soon as I find out why Simon’s brother is here in Rios and didn’t tell me he was coming.
“When did you get here?” I ask Sam.
“Not long ago. I was starving, so I was gonna give you a call and let you know I was in town after I ate.”
“I didn’t see your car outside. Did you fly from New York?”
“Flew into Cedar Point, then picked up a rental car and drove down here. I parked it further down the road. For such a small town, there’s a surprising lack of parking down Main Street.”
“Nico’s is popular. It’s always hard to find parking near it.”
Sam slings an arm around my shoulder and steers me to a booth with the remains of a burger, fries, and a shake, still holding Ben. “Your parents called. I’m here to make sure you and Ben are safe and not being taken advantage of.” His eyes flick from me to Win, who watches from the open kitchen doorway with a furrowed brow. Sam’s face goes blank when he adds, “Can I assume he’s one of them?”
Ah. If my dads promised my mom they wouldn’t come to Rios to interrogate Murph, Win, and Joel, they would have stayed away. But they are wily. There would be nothing to stop them from calling Sam and asking ifhewouldn’t mind coming instead.
I let out a quiet sigh.I should have expected this.
Lina chooses that moment to walk over. “Can I get you a table, Rose?” she asks me.
“No thanks. I’ll sit with Sam,” I say.
She looks at Sam curiously but doesn’t ask who he is. “Harry’s here with his dad if Ben wants to sit with him.” She points to a small table near the middle of the diner where Harry is sitting with a dark-haired man in his early thirties.
Ben snaps his head toward me, silently pleading for me to say yes.
I smile. “Go on. And no?—”
No sooner has Sam set him down than Ben is sprinting over to join Harry, who stops eating his fries to jump up and greet him.
I let out another sigh and slump into the booth with Sam. “I don’t know why I bother. He was going to sprint over there the second he saw Harry, no matter what I said.”
I wave at Harry’s dad when he smiles at me after he’s gotten Ben settled at their table. Once Ben is happily chatting with Harry and Lina has wandered off to deal with a customer, I focus on Sam. “You didn’t have to come all this way, Sam. Ben and I are fine.”
